A TV and Knitting Day

Today has dawn wet and rather miserable.  So we are staying put here in Bugsworth Basin.  A very nice spot where the old limestone wharfs have been restored over many years (started in 1970's - finished 2005) to create a great mooring spot for quite a few boats in 3 linked basins. 

Last night we stayed in the large basin on the right, today we have moved to the long thin basin top left

Anyway back to today, while the weather sorts itself out we have taken the chance of a lazy day and work out where we go from here.  The intention is to get onto the Leeds and Liverpool canal but there are 2 ways of getting there. They both need sections to be booked with CaRT meaning we have to be in a specific place at a specific time.  Andrew really wants to go through the Standedge Tunnel, at just over 3 miles long and will take about 1 3/4 hrs to get through.  This has to be booked at least 3 days in advance.  The other way is longer but requires 2 sections of locks to be booked in advance.  So the current choice is the tunnel, now we just have to work out how long it will take us to get there so that we can book our passage through the tunnel, some nap time for me I expect :)

So that is our plan for the next week or so and now for where we have come from.

We completed the Macclesfield Canal through to Marple and then turned into the Upper Peak Forest Canal. This canal is very pretty winding around the edge of the Goyt River valley with some lovely views over the valley to the hills on the other side.

So I will just leave you all with some pictures I took along the way -

Starlings in flight

Goyt Mill, Marple - was a cotton mill, now offices and other things

A peek at the view

Approaching a bridge

Middle Basin, Bugsworth Basin

If the sun decides to make an appearance, I had intended to ride my bike (for the first time since it was bought 8 months ago!) up the old tramway tracks that used to bring the limestone to the wharfs from the quarries further up the valley.  Time will tell :)

Cheers all and have fun :)